1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shower apparatus comprising a housing, which is preferably connected to a flexible water supply, and a shower head mounted on said housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shower apparatuses of the above-mentioned kind are widely used in baths and bathrooms.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a shower apparatus of this kind by means of which a full shower effect and an additional massage effect are produced at the same time without having to operate the shower head by hand.
According to the invention this is achieved by adapting the shower head to be carried by a connecting pipe which oscillates in said housing.
The oscillating movement is an incomplete rotation, preferably by an angle of between 50.degree. and 80.degree., around the longitudinal center axis of the connecting pipe.
Such shower apparatuses can be attached to fixed carriers. They oscillate automatically and thereby spray broad water jets over large portions of the body. For this purpose, the shower head of one embodiment of the present invention is provided with broad-slot-type jet nozzles.
The points of impact on the body surface change rapidly and, hence, produce a particularly stimulating effect. The shower head is preferably turnable around 360.degree. on the connecting pipe so that the direction of water jets can be turned into any desired position.
This shower apparatus can also be attached above the bath tub, and this use is particularly attractive.
While the water runs into the bath tub the oscillating shower apparatus sprays water jets from above horizontally on the person taking a bath.
The oscillating movement can be stopped by a switch lever, and the shower apparatus can be used as an ordinary hand shower.
Prior art shower apparatuses produce pulsating and bubbling water jets. Shower apparatuses, which have become known lately, comprise two shower heads which move automatically along a guide rail from the top to the bottom, said guide rail being fixedly mounted to the wall.
Self-propelled apparatuses for the massage of the body have, for example, been described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,305,358 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,949.
These massage apparatuses are exclusively used for the massage of the body and only a small part of the driving water is used for washing the body. Consequently, their range of action is very limited.